The Rochester Knighthawks are quite familiar with the age-old saying "Defense wins championships."

Last night at Blue Cross Arena, they began putting that theory to the test.

With a first-round playoff date looming next week against offensive juggernaut Baltimore, the Knighthawks tuned up their defense during a 10-9 victory over the Philadelphia Wings in front of 9,236 appreciative -- though at times somewhat bored -- spectators.

"It was 4-4 for a long time and I know people probably didn't enjoy watching it, but for me, I didn't mind it because it's a nice defensive battle and that can win you a championship," Rochester coach Paul Day said.

This was one of the lowest-scoring games in the Knighthawks' five-year history, and while neither offense was particularly sharp, it was more a case of both teams playing superb defense.

And in the high-scoring National Lacrosse League, Day and the Knighthawks know that playing aggressive, sound defense can make a big difference, especially at playoff time.

"In the summer (Canadian league) you see that, but not here," Rochester's Mike Hasen said of the 17 1/2-minute stretch bridging the second and third quarters where neither team scored.

"These guys can score in this league, but both defenses showed up tonight. We got on a roll (late in the third) and that's what we have to do -- play great defense and score on our chances when we get them."

The victory enabled Rochester to tie Baltimore for second place with a record of 8-4, but the Thunder swept the regular-season series so they will host the Knighthawks in the first round of the playoffs Saturday night.

Philadelphia finished 5-7, just its third losing record in 13 years, but it was good enough to nail down fourth place and a playoff berth against first-place Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens.

The winners will meet in the NLL championship game April 24.

Despite the fact that neither team had much to play for last night, the effort was apparent on both sides, though that did not translate into many goals.

In what very likely was the lowest scoring half the Knighthawks have ever been involved in, the teams combined for just eight goals in the first 30 minutes with each side scoring four.

"Our defense just picked it up," said Knighthawks goalie Pat O'Toole, who made 38 saves. "I was getting one shot every two or three minutes and it was from out far and not a lot of goals were going in."

Added Wings coach Tony Resch: "It was an odd feel to the game. It certainly seemed like a boxing match, both teams feeling each other out and it took much longer than it usually goes on."

Tim Soudan, having his best season for Rochester and winner of last night's game MVP award, opened the scoring 1:26 into the game as he took a feed from Casey Powell and beat Wings goalie Dallas Eliuk from in close.

Kevin Finneran tied it five minutes later with an outside shot that trickled through O'Toole's equipment, and Tom Marechek put the Wings ahead with a pretty behind-the-back shot at 7:56.

With the Knighthawks working with a 6-on-5 man advantage on a delayed penalty, Powell pulled them even when he took Randy Mearns' pass on the crease and slipped one past Eliuk.

Soudan then scored a beautiful goal on a fastbreak while the Knighthawks were shorthanded. O'Toole made a save and outletted to Soudan, who raced in and made a nifty move that left Eliuk dazzled.

In the second quarter, crisp ball movement led to Philadelphia goals by Fred Jenner and Jake Bergey that gave the Wings a 4-3 advantage.

Midway through the quarter, Dan Teat ripped one in on a fastbreak to tie the score, and then neither team scored for the final seven minutes of the half, or for the first 10-plus minutes of the second half.

Bergey finally broke the drought with a power-play goal, but while it gave the Wings a brief 5-4 lead, it also served to snap Rochester to attention.

The Knighthawks responded with a four-goal flurry in the next 3:21 that produced an 8-5 lead and they never trailed again.

After Randy Mearns scored off a pretty passing play with linemates Duane Jacobs and Darris Kilgour, Casey Powell was involved in three straight goals.

The star rookie assisted on Ted Dowling's go-ahead goal, scored on a spin-around move, then assisted on Curt Malawsky's goal 20 seconds before the quarter ended.

"The second line scored three of those goals and that was good for us," said Powell. "We came out and hustled our butts off and came up with a couple loose balls and it worked to our benefit."

Said Soudan: "We had a couple unsettled situations that we capitalized on and that changed the face of the game at the end of the third period."

The Wings closed within 8-7, but Soudan's third of the game headed off that rally, and after Greg Traynor cut it back to one goal, Dowling answered with a drive to the crease that resulted in a goal.

Bergey scored with three seconds remaining to close the scoring.

BOX SUMMARY
                                  1  2  3  4     TOT
Philadelphia Wings (5-7)          2  2  1  4  --   9
Rochester Knighthawks (8-4)       3  1  4  2  --  10

PHILADELPHIA WINGS            ROCHESTER KNIGHTHAWKS
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Bergey         3 - 4     7    Powell         2 - 3     5
Marechek       2 - 3     5    Soudan         3 - 1     4
Finneran       1 - 3     4    Dowling        2 - 1     3
Jenner         1 - 1     2    Malawsky       1 - 1     2
S Radebaugh    1 - 1     2    Mearns         1 - 1     2
Traynor        1 - 0     1    Teat           1 - 1     2
Busza          0 - 1     1    Co Bomberry    0 - 1     1
McEvoy         0 - 1     1    Hollenbeck     0 - 1     1
O'Grady        0 - 1     1    Jacobs         0 - 1     1
Oglesby        0 - 1     1    D Kilgour      0 - 1     1
                              O'Toole        0 - 1     1
                              Thorpe         0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           47    Shots on goal           45
Saves made by (GA)      35    Saves made by (GA)      38
   Eliuk (10)        35          O'Toole (9)       38
Loose Balls             84    Loose Balls             76
   Oglesby           11          Soudan            10
   McEvoy            10          Kruger             8
Faceoffs Won            14    Faceoffs Won            10
   Hanford           12          Co Bomberry        9

*** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH ROCHESTER D & C ***

Thanks to GoKHawksGo for providing the game stats.